ETHIOPIA – Ethiopia has officially launched its first Sector Skills Body (SSB), piloted in the agro-processing sector, marking a significant step in aligning technical skills with industry demands.
This initiative, spearheaded by H.E. Dr. Teshale Brecha, State Minister for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the Ministry of Labour and Skills, represents a collaborative approach to addressing skills mismatches and fostering innovation in one of Ethiopia’s key industrial sectors.
The SSB brings together various stakeholders, including private sector entities, training and certification agencies, sub-sector representatives, and trade unions.
Its main objective is to align workforce skills with industry needs, ensuring that training programs not only produce employable graduates but also contribute to boosting productivity and competitiveness in the agro-processing sector. This demand-driven approach focuses on skills matching, lifelong learning, and fostering partnerships between education institutions and employers.
The SSB is part of the broader ProAgro Ethiopia project, under the guidance of the International Labour Organization (ILO), with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
Over the years, the ILO has provided technical expertise and facilitated knowledge sharing through partnerships with global institutions such as GIZ and the World Bank.
The project’s success has been further supported by experiences gathered from South-South cooperation initiatives in countries like India, China, South Africa, and Ghana, which served as models for the development of Ethiopia’s sector-specific skills approach.
Dr. Dawit Mogus, President of the Federation of Ethiopian Employers Association (FEEA), emphasized that the SSB will serve as a critical link between education providers and employers, helping to ensure that training programs are aligned with the latest industry standards.
This connection will enable educational institutions to produce graduates with relevant, industry-specific skills that are in demand in the workforce.
Engineer Getahun Hussien, President of the Confederation of Ethiopian Employers Federation (CEEF), echoed these sentiments, stressing the importance of building trust between employers and training institutions.
By working closely with the private sector, the SSB aims to create a dynamic skills development ecosystem that responds to the rapidly evolving needs of the agro-processing industry.
This initiative has garnered widespread support from development partners, including the German Embassy, whose representative, Ms. Susanne Duering, praised Ethiopia’s focus on talent development as a means to enhance productivity and create decent employment opportunities.
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